The eternal promise of boxing is that a fighter is just one match away -- and sometimes one punch away -- from changing his life. Junior welterweight contender Terence Crawford knows this all too well.

Two-and-a-half months ago the words "Terence Crawford" and "junior welterweight contender" would have been illogical. But after WBA junior welterweight titlist Khabib Allakhverdiev pulled out of his title defense against Breidis Prescott due to injury, Crawford was inserted on short notice and made the most of his opportunity. Using southpaw moves that conjured memories of Pernell Whitaker, Crawford won a commanding 10-round decision and turned himself from a "B-side" sub to an "A-side" co-feature spot against Mexican Alejandro Sanabria.

The lanky Mexican is fighting for the first time on American soil and his 34-1-1 (25 KO) record speaks well for him. Will he "do a Crawford" on Crawford or will the Nebraskan continue his extraordinary roll?